FAQ

As of September 30, 2025, Organic Meadow 2% Cottage Cheese was discontinued. The decision was made from circumstances beyond our control regarding capacity and production constraints. We are actively exploring all options to address this situation and restore cottage cheese to our lineup. This process will take time, and we cannot provide any assurances on a timeframe.

Yes, our reusable glass bottles are proudly made with 30% recycled content (non-virgin glass) and used a min of 10 times. The bottles are then packaged in reusable plastic crates which are used on average nearly 100 times. You can return your bottle to the store where you purchased the milk, or any store who carries our glass bottle of milk. You do not need a receipt. The store will refund you the $2 deposit.

All Organic Meadow products are certified organic which means, by definition, they are always free of Genetically Modified Organisms. Under the Canadian Organic Standards, the use of GMO's is not permitted. This means that the ingredients in our products and the food that we give our animals are not grown from GMO seed or produced with GMO products.

Organic Meadow kefir and ice cream are not-gluten free. Our kefir cultures are grown in a facility where barley is present, and our ice cream is produced in a facility where gluten is present. All other Organic Meadow products do not contain gluten.

Under Canadian Organic Standards, on an organic dairy farm, a minimum of 60% of cows' diet must come from pasture and dried forage. The exact percentage of grass varies depending on the individual farm, season and nutritional needs of the cow. The cows are free roaming on grassy pastures during the warm months starting as soon as the grass has grown long enough for the cows to eat. This period, typically from mid-late May until late October, is often referred to as 'Pasture Season'. In the winter, the cows still go outside (weather permitting) as it is required within the Canadian Organic Regime that cows have outdoor access year-round. Weather conditions and other factors can make it impossible for many of our farmers to grow and store enough top-quality forage to meet the needs of their cows all year long without the option of grain. In these circumstances, our farmers choose from a variety of organic grains, including oats, barley, peas, corn, and soybeans, to supplement the cows' diet and to make sure they stay healthy. Any grains that the cows are supplemented with come from 100% certified organic sources and often come directly from the same farm. The grains are GMO free.

All Organic Meadow Kefir, Yogourt, and Dahi products are made with live, active bacterial cultures. Our organic kefir is proudly made with 11 bacterial cultures and contains over 2 billion active cultures per 250mL serving. Our organic yogourt is made with 4 active bacterial cultures, organic Greek yogurt is made with 2 active bacterial cultures, and organic dahi is made with 3 active bacterial cultures, each providing more than 1 billion probiotic bacteria per serving.

We recognize that some people have a hard time digesting lactose, which is the natural sugar that is present in all cows' milk. As such, we are proud to offer Canada's first (and only) organic 2% lactose-free milk and yogourt products. To make it, we take our organic milk and add a natural enzyme called lactase which breaks down the lactose into easily digestible sugars, glucose and lactose. The lactase enzyme is permitted under the Canadian Organic Standards and is non-GMO.

High Temperature Short Time (or HTST as it is known in the industry) is a common method of pasteurization. Using this traditional method, milk is heated to a minimum temperature of 72°C and held for a minimum of 16 seconds. The milk is pasteurized to kill any pathogenic bacteria that may be present. For our pasteurized HTST milk, it is common to find a date code between 20 to 22 days from the date of manufacture. This ensures a fresh, wholesome dairy product.

We cannot recommend consuming any milk product past the best before date. We guarantee its freshness up to the best before date if unopened. Once opened, a milk product is freshest tasting within 7 days.

The reason we do not put an expiry date on our butter is because it depends on how the butter is stored - refrigerated or frozen. As such, the date coding shown on the butter refers to its date of production. The butter leaves the processing plant frozen. Once it gets to the stores it is up to the individual retailer how they want it stored (fridge or freezer). Here is how to read the code on the butter: Look at the first of two rows of numbers stamped on one of the sides of the butter package. An example is C00919. C stands for Culture. If it were salted butter it would start with an S. 009 represents the 9th day of the year, which is January 9th. 19 is the year. This production date is January 09, 2019. The estimated shelf life if kept in the fridge is 4 months. The estimated shelf life if kept frozen is up to 2 years.

You can visit our enhanced Store Locator and enter your location and the products that you are interested in purchasing and a list of stores who carry these products will be generated. As well, you can fill out our Contact Us form and ask us directly, we would be happy to help!

Our ice cream facility does process several nut varieties – almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, peanuts, pecans, pistachios, and walnuts. Manufacturers are required to take all precautions to ensure undeclared allergens (ingredients not included in the actual ingredient declaration) are not present in products. Our facility has a robust allergen management system in which equipment is verified to be free of allergens before use, and product is tested to confirm.

Organic Meadow ice cream is stamped with a code called Julian Code Dating; this is a production date. RT24303, the code provided, translates to production date October 29, 2024, or the 303rd day of 2024. Product expiry varies as ice cream freshness is dependent on use and storage. We recommend that ice cream be returned to the freezer immediately after each use to maintain freshness. For best results, please enjoy your ice cream within 18 months of the production date.